Kendrick: Case of Exodus
by The Lori C
Summary: In the second of the legal series, Brian takes on the case of a battered woman charged in her boyfriend's murder.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Hey, hunk," Lori said, kissing Brian's cheek. "Happy birthday."

Brian gave a snort in response.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm getting old," he groaned. "I've been mourning my twenties all morning. Think of it, Lor; at 20, I had sex for the first time, had my first real relationship at 22, had my first major murder case at 26, lost my first case at 27, got both tagged as one of those 'celebrity lawyers' and married at 29, and today, my life has officially gone to hell."

Lori rolled her eyes. "Don't you think you're overreacting? I'd hate to see how you are at _my_ age. Besides, as Shelly says, you're a cutie no matter how old you are."

"_Cutie? _Jesus, you women and your terms."

"At least let this old lady take you to dinner tonight," she offered.

"Old lady? Sweetheart, you're aging like wine. I, on the other hand, am aging like milk."

Just then, Paul walked in grinning, holding a package. "Happy birthday, old man," he chortled.

"Uh, Doc? Birthday boy here is not so happy right now," Lori said.

"Why not? Turning thirty only comes once in a lifetime. Hey, is that a liver spot? I think you have a little bald place on your head too," he joked.

"Thanks, Doc, that made me feel so much better. Not." Brian glared at him.

"Paul," Lori warned. "Don't aggravate. All right?"

"Don't you have some dead friends to cut open?" Brian asked.

"Probably, but I wanted to drop by and wish you happy birthday first." Paul handed over the gift. "I couldn't forget my best friend's special day."

"What's this?"

"A surprise. Open it."

Brian did what he was told. "A book?" he asked.

"Not just any book," Paul replied. "_My _first book. I thought I'd give you an advance copy."

"I didn't know you'd been working on a book," Lori said, smiling.

Paul nodded. "Some of my most outstanding cases. The Lily Schaad one is in there among some of them."

"This will make some great reading," Brian nodded. "Thanks, Doc."

"Much obliged. By the way, thirty isn't old; you're coming into your prime."

"Totally agree," Lori smiled. "And to think I am honored to see such a great man in his prime."

_Meanwhile:_

Exodus Pirro sat in a holding cell in the jail's processing area, waiting to be taken up to be arraigned. She had just been arrested for the death of her boyfriend, Mickey Kleto. Granted, Mickey had been a brute that had smacked Exodus around more than she could have counted over the last two years, but she had been at her breaking point and didn't even remember firing the gun.

_How could I planned this if I don't even remember? _Exodus thought. She was going to need a good attorney.

Sitting in the holding cell with a couple of other women, Exodus considered herself lucky to be well to do enough to afford private counsel, but she'd never been in trouble before and wondered who would be willing to take on a case such as hers.

A hard-looking redhead puffed on a cigarette. "Whatcha in for, honey?" she asked Exodus.

"Apparently for murder," Exodus sighed. "My boyfriend was shot to death. We had…kind of a volatile relationship."

"Beat ya, huh?"

"Sometimes," Exodus nodded.

"Then he deserved to get his head blown off. Compared to you, though, my problem is a minor one. Was in a car that I didn't know was stolen. Talk about being fucked over. I wish I could get a good lawyer, but I'm going to be stuck with one of those public defender assholes instead. You got one?"

Exodus shook her head. "Not yet. I don't even know of any."

"Ya know, I do. There's this guy that took all kinds of cases, and he's supposed to be really good.

"Really? And who would that be?"

"Brian Kendrick," the redhead nodded. "If there is any lawyer that can get you out of some crazy shit like that, he can. They're gonna let us out to use the phones in a few; I think his number's out there on the wall somewhere. He'll probably get you bail too. Hell, I'd hire him if I could afford it."

Exodus smiled gratefully at this information. The guy was top flight, and Lord knew she needed a good attorney right now.

Once the doors had been unlocked, she headed for the phone bank, finding Brian's number and dialing, keeping her fingers crossed for luck.

_A short time later:_

"You won't believe that call that came in," Brian said.

"The one from that lady from the jail?" Lori asked. "Why, what's the matter?"

"I thought I had tough cases before, but this may be my most challenging yet. It's a battered woman's case."

"Battered woman?" Lori raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, apparently she shot her boyfriend to death, but can't really recall the details. In any event, you know how much I love a challenge, so naturally, I took the case. Her arraingment's in half an hour."

"Oh that poor woman," Lori replied sympathetically.

"Well, one thing about this," he said, "it may make me forget birthday hell for a few hours. Get hold of Shelly, will you? I want to start working on this right away."

Lori nodded, picking up the phone. "Consider it done."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Brian had indeed gotten Exodus bond; they had talked for a long time afterward about what had led up to the shooting. Now that she was headed to the home of a friend and Brian was headed back to the office, it was time to put Shelly to work.

And indeed Shelly had jumped on it; she called back almost the minute the office had opened the next morning.

"Good timing," Lori had told her, "Brian's had his coffee and cigarette, so you should be fine." It had been a running joke for as long as anyone could remember not to bother the boss until after his morning smoke and first cup of coffee.

"Great," Shelly replied. "I may have come up with a few things of interest."

"Spill it, Shell," Brian said once she'd been put through. "Anything we can use for this lady?"

"Exodus Pirro has no prior record, not even a parking ticket," Shelly answered. "On the other hand, Michael Kleto had one as long as both of our arms. Auto theft, assault, burglary, drug possession, disorderly conduct, you name it, he did it."

"Holy hell," Brian gasped.

"There is one thing Exodus has on her side," Shelly continued. "She did go to a shelter once about a year ago, and I found a couple of police reports she filed when this guy beat her. I'm searching for medical records now on the off chance Exodus may have been treated somewhere."

"Good, good. At least she was smart enough to get something on record. We may be able to use the battered woman's syndrome defense after all. I was also thinking diminished mental capacity."

"Well, with what I have so far, it could help," Shelly agreed. "By the way, Cinder's working on reconstructing what actually happened; she's tested the gun and it is indeed the weapon. She figured if they went back to the scene and reconstructed the shooting, they would have a better idea what actually happened."

"Right now I could use about anything, even if it does benefit Helen more in the long run."

"From what we have so far, boss, it could be likely to swing your way."

"Maybe," Brian said, "but that is eventually for a jury to decide."

_Meanwhile:_

"My God, Exxie, do you have any idea whom you retained as an attorney?" Exodus' friend Mel Turner asked.

She nodded. "The girl at the jail said he was pretty good and Lord knows I could have used someone like that."

"Not just _good," _Mel said. "The guy is like one of the top lawyers in town with a 98 percent acquittal record. That's more than the average lawyer. As a matter of fact, we're studying one of his cases at school."

"Really?" Exodus' interest was piqued. "Which?"

"_State vs. Buckingham. _It was one of Kendrick's most legendary murder trials."

"I think I've heard of that one. The actress that was murdered and turned out to be done by another actress, right?"

Mel nodded. "That's the one. Talk about some twists and turns. Seriiously, though, Exxie, I honestly think you've lucked out here big time."

"It seems that way, considering I was able to get bail."

"Well, work with him with what you know really happened. You'll benefit in the long run if you're totally honest. Leave nothing out, not even the smallest detail. I have a good feeling about all of this, Exxie. Even if it results in a conviction, I doubt the punishment will be that bad, given your prior clean record."

Exodus sighed. "I certainly hope so, Mel. But then again, anything at this point is better than the five years I was stuck with being smacked around."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Cinder and another criminalist, Alex, scoured through the apartment where Exodus had resided with Mickey up until his death. They bagged and labeled even the smallest thing they managed to find.

While in the process, her phone rang. "Are you done at the crime scene yet?" Paul asked.

"Alex and I were about to wrap up here," Cinder replied.

"Good, come down to the morgue on your way back. I may have something of interest here on the body."

"You found something?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not."

"I'll stop by in about ten minutes," Cinder said.

_Meanwhile:_

Paul went over the body of Mickey Kleto with every minute detail; even the smallest missed thing could make or break an eventual trial.

Still, something was bothering him about the bullet wound pattern; it would take someone from the crime lab to figure this out, but even if Exodus Pirro had been charged with this man's death, something wasn't measuring up.

He had found the wound Exodus had described to Brian that she _had_ remembered, but closer observation revealed to Paul that though the guy would have had some pain, the wound wasn't fatal.

After talking to Cinder and requesting she stop by the morgue, he dialed Brian's cell phone.

"Hey, Doc," Brian said cheerfully, "what brings this call? I was just headed to lunch."

"Just a couple of questions about the Michael Kleto murder," Paul answered. "One, how tall is Exodus Pirro?"

"Five foot three," Brian said. "Why do you ask?"

"There's something about the fatal bullet wound that is bothering me. It's the pattern of the entrance and exit wound. Not only does it not match up to a self defense theory like the wound Exodus described to you, but unless this guy was in a prone position, there's no way a person of her height could fire a contact wound that perfect."

"Do you think he was already down when the second shot was fired?" Brian wondered.

"I thought so at first, but with the angle of the bullet travel pattern, it's not likely."

"Wait. Was the guy already dead when the other shot was fired?"

"No. He was actively bleeding, which meant he was still alive after Exodus fired that one. Let's just say as far as that one is concerned, your client is a lousy shot, Counselor."

"So are you, your point?" Brian replied.

"I'm getting Cindy over here to have a look at this to make sure, but I have reason to believe Exodus wasn't alone in that room when her boyfriend was killed."

_Several minutes later:_

"All right, what was the urgency?" Cinder asked after she'd arrived at the morgue.

Paul took her over to Mickey's body, now with probes in the wounds. He described to her what he had just told Brian on the phone.

Cinder had a close look. "What is this girl's height again?" she asked.

"According to Brian, five foot three."

"Well, the non-fatal wound would match up to that, but the one that did him in…there's something 'off' about it."

"Thank you! I didn't think I was completely nuts. By the way," Paul said, handing over two small clear plastic bags containing bullets removed from the body, "don't say I never gave you anything."

Cinder nodded and smiled at the joke; Paul was good at lightening even the most morbid situation. "You know, I could run these for tool marks," she offered.

"Think it could help the situation?" he asked.

"I'm not sure about that one way or the other, but it could or could not make things a little clearer about all of this. Let me get these back to the lab and start on them and I'll let you know what I find out."

_An hour later:_

"Counselor," Exodus said when she saw Brian at the door. "What are you doing here?"

"There's just a few things I needed to go over again," Brian replied. "I need to be fully prepared to give you a proper defense."

She nodded. "All right."

"Exodus," he began, "there's been some new information that came up, and I was wondering if you could go back over that night one more time for me. Even the smallest thing, I want to know about it. As you know, Mickey had two wounds, one which killed him."

She shook her head. "I only remember one shot. It hit him here," she sdded, pointing to an area on herself the exact spot where the first wound on the body had been found.

"Did he by any chance fall to the floor?"

"No. I only remember him doubling over and maybe cursing."

"Okay," Brian said. "Could you show me where you were standing again when that shot was fired?"

Exodus nodded and went to the spot she had previously told him. "He was coming after me…poised like he was going to choke me. That's when I got the gun I kept under a chair cushion and used it."

"You don't remember a second time?"

"No. I swear it was only once, unless I blacked out. I don't remember anything after that. I was in…shock, I guess, and they took me to jail after I was released from the ER."

_This is getting weirder by the minute, _Brian thought. He would have to wait for all the reports to be in before he could even _begin_ to piece things together.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Are you sitting down?" Cinder asked when she contacted Brian a few days later.

"No, but something tells me I should be," he answered.

"Remember those two bullets I told you about that Doc Paul gave me at the morgue?" Cinder reminded him. "Well, I ran them."

"So what did you find?"

"That's the interesting part. They're the same caliber, but the tool marks on them don't match."

Brian perked up on his end. "Are you sure? There could have been an error in running the test or something."

"That's what I thought at first too, but I examined both of them at every possible angle and still came up with the same conclusion. The second bullet looks like it had been forced into another weapon."

Brian thought for a second, then replied, "There is no way Exodus could have shot the guy with one gun and then had time to load another and shoot him again."

"Not with the height and location of the fatal wound," Cinder added, referring to the autopsy report of Paul's. "I can't tell you what the DA's office is thinking about all of this, but I am going with the theory Exodus wasn't alone in that place."

"And this will be the beginning on proving that," Brian agreed. "The question remains who that second person was and their relationship with Exodus."

_A short time later:_

"Boss," Shelly greeted Brian when she had returned to the office.

"Find out anything new?" he wondered.

"I had a long talk with someone named Melanie Turner. She's a pre-law student and a longtime friend of Exodus'. Apparently she was the only one Exodus confided in as far as her relationship with Michael Kleto was concerned. She was also the one who took Exodus to the safe house last year, but Exodus left after only three days."

"Are you sure there wasn't anyone else who knew about the abusive situation besides the safe house staff and Ms. Turner?"

Shelly shook her head. "Why do you ask?"

Brian relayed to her about his earlier telephone call from Cinder.

"Now that you mentioned that, maybe there _is _someone I missed. I'm going to go see Cindy at the lab to have a look for myself, and then do some very serious digging."

Shelly then left the office and headed to the lab, only to find Cinder out.

"She and Alex went back to the crime scene," one of the associates informed her. "You might want to try her there."

Shelly cringed a little; she wasn't big on visiting crime scenes, but as part of her new resolve to dig for any detail that could free Exodus or at least get her a reduced charge, she toughened up and headed over to the apartment.

"Well, well," Cinder greeted her, "what brings you by? I thought you hated visiting the scenes of the crime."

"Usually, yes, but Brian told me about what you found on the bullets earlier."

Cinder nodded. "Which is why Alex and I came back here; to comb over anything we may have missed the first time."

"Cindy!" Alex called from another room. "I think we could be on to something here!"

The two women headed into the room where he was, frantically photographing.

"What did you find?" Cinder asked.

"A footprint on this window sill," Alex replied. "Now tell me, does this print look like a woman who wears a size six shoe?"

Shelly studied it closer. "More like at least a size ten," she said. "This is all starting to make sense."

"And look over here; another print," Alex continued. "Someone stood here where they could have a direct shot at the victim when he turned around, but no one would see _them_ at the same time."

"Was there a second weapon recovered from here by any chance?" Shelly wondered.

"Glad you asked," Alex nodded. "The victim's hunting rifle. And it was recently fired."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"One set of ammunition, two guns," Brian said. "How is that possible?"

"It pretty much seals Exodus wasn't alone in that place when Mickey was killed," Shelly answered. "The question remains who else would have wanted him dead?"

"Given what we've found out about him, plenty of people."

"Cindy called from the lab," Shelly informed him. "She gave an update on those footprints Alex found. They're too big to belong to Exodus and too small to have been Mickey's. Judging from what Alex studied on them, it's either a man with small feet or a woman with bigger than average ones."

Brian sat back in his chair. "Jesus, just when I think my cases can't get any more bizarre."

Shelly nodded. "I know. Now I need to go through the list of those closest to Exodus."

"That's pretty short," Brian replied. "Her relatives are deceased and from what I understand, she didn't socialize much, mainly because of Mickey keeping her on a tight leash. What about that pre-law student? What's her name again?"

Shelly studied her notes. "Melanie Turner."

"Talk to her again," Brian instructed Shelly, "and see if you can find out anything else."

_Meanwhile:_

Paul had finally completed the autopsy earlier that morning and signed off both the death certificate and his reports for both the DA's and Brian's offices before faxing the necessary paperwork to both. Mickey Kleto was now in a drawer, waiting to be claimed.

It hadn't taken Helen Krenn long to contact him.

"Doctor," she began, "is this report a joke or am I just reading it wrong? How could the victim's injuries be inconsistent with one another when it was clear the ballistics matched the weapon used by the defendant?"

"You may want to contact the crime lab, Counselor," Paul responded. "They examined the two bullets further and found differences in the tool marks. Not only that, the fatal wound on the victim couldn't have been put there by Miss Pirro. Neither the autopsy nor the reconstruction of the crime by the criminalists in charge support it. The only thing you and I can agree on that the death was indeed a homicide."

"Well at least we're on the same page about _something."_

"Right. Any more questions? I have a few other bodies I have to finish today."

"Not for you, but I think I will contact the crime lab. Come to think of it, this is winding up to be quite a fascinating case."

_A few hours later:_

Shelly reviewed her notes, going over every small detail but coming up with nothing so far. Most of the people she had interviewed that had even the most remote relation with Exodus seemed strictly routine.

She did, however, keep coming back to Mel Turner. Something about the close friend of Exodus' seemed to concern Shelly, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. Perhaps it had been Mel's knowledge of most of the laws; perhaps it was the hostility in her voice when Shelly had interviewed her about Mickey's death. It was perfectly clear Mel Turner hadn't liked Mickey Kleto much, but then again, the guy hadn't had many friends to begin with.

In the meanwhile, Cinder had been examing the rifle recently discovered, along with going back over the gun Exodus had fired to defend herself against Mickey. If hers and Alex's theories would indeed be right, Exodus' chances of beating the murder charge could be good after all, but they weren't getting any hopes up just yet. It would be best to go back and check even the smallest detail. Right now, they couldn't afford to miss a thing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_A few weeks later:_

"So this is it," Exodus said.

Brian nodded. "The trial opens tomorrow morning."

"How…how does it look for me?"

"Well, there's no guarantees, but with what we have, you can either be acquitted or face a reduced sentence if there is the chance you are convicted. But I wouldn't worry about that. Let's just take this all one day at a time."

"All right," Exodus replied. "I trust you."

Brian managed a smile. "I certainly hope you would. I am your attorney, after all."

"What exactly will happen?"

It was clear this young woman had neither been in a courtroom before nor even saw a show on television. Perhaps a tour of where the trial would be taking place would help.

After explaining to Exodus about what basically happened during the average trial, Brian summoned Shelly and Lori to accompany them to the court house, explaining that Exodus needed a crash course. They were both happy to help.

_Meanwhile:_

Helen Krenn wasn't sure how she was going to proceed with the latest case that lay before her. This had to perhaps be one of the most complex case she had had to date. While there had been no question that the defendant had been abused for some time by the victim, it was clear to Helen that Exodus had shot Mickey at least once, _but which time?_

She studied the detectives' reports, Paul's autopsy results on the body, and files from the crime lab. Nothing had been missed, but Helen was still at a loss on how to prosecute such a case without being viewed as a harridan.

She knew Brian's talents all too well, and it would be without a doubt that Exodus would be the type of defendant that would emit some degree of sympathy from both the jury and public–something that would be a death knell to Helen's own case.

Yes, Michael "Mickey" Kleto had been an SOB in life that wasn't the most popular character in the world, but he had still been a _human being _and didn't deserve to be murdered. No matter how heinous or angelic a victim had been, Helen always felt the same way about each homicide victim equally.

And beginning tomorrow morning, Helen would begin to prosecute the woman responsible for his death, not exactly a popular choice, but Helen Krenn wasn't out to win popularity contests when she became a sworn ADA.

_Later:_

"This is where the jury will be seated," Lori instructed Exodus, indicating the jury box in the courtroom. "As you know, there will be twelve people and two alternates. They will decide the outcome of your trial."

"All right." Exodus nodded.

"Over here is the witness box," Shelly added. "People will sit in here from both sides to testify and be asked questions from both the prosecutor and Brian."

"Will I have to go there?" Exodus asked, wide eyed.

"Once in awhile a defendant does testify," Brian answered, "but they are usually advised by their attorneys not to, which I am doing with you."

"Good," she sighed with relief. "I don't think I could go through with that."

"You're going to be fine, Exodus," Lori reassured her. "All you need to do is follow what Brian tells you and of course be appropriate. I don't think you'll have a problem in that department, though."

"I totally agree," Paul said, walking in with a grin and holding a manila envelope.

"Doc," Brian grinned back, "what brings you here?"

"Your answering service told me where to find you," Paul replied. "I have the rest of the autopsy photos for you. I just came from the DA's office to give copies of these lovely things to Helen."

"Will these help or hinder our case?" Brian wondered, opening the envelope.

"That depends on how you view them, my friend," Paul responded. "You may also want to take a look at the tox screen report that's in there too."

"It's back already?" Brian was both bemused and elated.

"Yep. Interesting stuff in there. Anyway, I have to get back and cut open more dead folks. My work is never done."

"Indeed it isn't," Brian chuckled. "Thanks again."

"You're really going to show that stuff?" Exodus asked.

"All part of the case," Brian nodded., pulling out the tox screen report to study it. "Exodus, did you by any chance notice that Mickey was….inebriated when you fired that shot?"

She rolled her eyes. "When _wasn't_ Mickey drunk or whatever toward the end? That was one reason I wanted to leave."

"The reason I asked is he had quite a cocktail in him. This could explain why he'd been more violent than usual when he was coming toward you."

"Do you think this could help?" Exodus asked hopefully.

"It's certainly worth a shot," Brian reassured her. "Now, let's all go to lunch and finalize our strategy."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_First day of trial:_

"Am I dressed all right?" Exodus asked, a little nervous. "Brian said nothing too flashy."

"Very nice," Lori smiled in approval, inspecting the stylish yet modest dress Exodus wore. "Now remember, just let him do his work, and if you have a question about or want to add something you've remember, just write it on this tablet and pass it to him."

Exodus nodded. "All right. But what else do I do?"

"Pretty much just sit there and try not to do anything inappropriate such as smile at the wrong time or anything like that. Don't worry; you'll be fine. Here comes the man of the hour to start getting things underway, which is my cue to head back to the office. I get to do the dull work."

"Thanks again for everything," Exodus said gratefully.

Everyone soon began filing in and taking their places in the court room before the judge was announced and everyone was then seated. The trial had officially begun.

Helen gave her opening argument, which lasted several minutes, before Brian finally had the opportunity to rise and give his own statement. Through it all, even though _she_ was clearly the defendant, Exodus was utterly fascinated with the whole process going on around her thus far.

The parade of expert witnessed opened the testimony parts of the trial, and some of the jurors appeared bored despite their efforts to take in as much as they could of what each expert witness had to offer.

It was all Exodus could do not to faint when the weapon she'd used to shoot Mickey had been presented by Helen. It now had an evidence tag attached to it as the weapons expert on the stand explained how it worked, adding in a discussion about the two bullets.

Finally, the perfect opportunity for Brian to pounce.

"Detective Sergeant Willis," he began, "from the reports from the crime lab, as you also confirmed here, the caliber of the two bullets removed from the victim's body were exactly the same?"

"Yes."

"Of course. But there is one thing that is not the same. Did the crime lab not find _different _tool marks on one of those bullets?"

"The lab did find that, yes."

"Sir, what exactly would that mean? In layman's terms, please."

"The second bullet could have been forced into another weapon and fired."

"And there's a strong possibility that is exactly what happened, correct?"

"That possibility could be likely, yes."

"Nothing further, Your Honor."

_Mid morning:_

Exodus felt muddled in the head as she sipped coffee in the courthouse coffee shop. It was a regular hangout for attorneys and legal employees, especially during court trials.

"How are you holding up, Exodus?" Shelly asked sympathetically, sitting across from her while Brian checked with Lori back at the office.

"All right, I suppose," Exodus sighed. "All that terminology is so confusing, though. I don't think I could ever serve on a jury."

"You never got called for jury duty?"

Exodus shook her head.

"Wow, lucky." Shelly sipped her coffee. "Brian gets nailed every year for it and they've even gotten me at least four times. Don't know why; I never get picked."

"Neither does Brian, I bet," Exodus managed a smile.

"Not once they find out he's an attorney," Shelly laughed. "They even summoned Doc Paul once. I think there were a few squeamish people around that time because it didn't take long for him to be excused either."

"I don't think I'd want a guy who worked with dead bodies on a jury either," Exodus nodded.

Shelly then leaned forward and spoke softly. "Don't say anything to the boss or get your own hopes up, honey, but chances are good that it is the guy who works with dead bodies that could increase your chances for acquittal. That and those reports on the bullets."

"You really think so?" Exodus wondered.

"Just my opinion. Nothing guaranteed. That's up to the jury to make the final call once they've heard everything from both sides."

Brian soon joined them, dumping huge amounts of cream and Splenda in his coffee.

"Someone likes a little coffee with their condiments," Shelly teased.

"Have you tasted this rotgut black? Lord knows how long it's sat in those pots or the last time they washed them. I would have gone across the street if we weren't pressed for time."

"Maybe over lunch," Shelly offered. "So what's next when we get back upstairs?"

"More boring expert stuff, I'm afraid," Brian replied, smiling at Exodus. "It's always good to get those kinds of things out of the way the first day or two."

"How does anyone remember all of that?" Exodus asked.

"I guess note taking is encouraged for that reason," Brian replied, and then looked at his watch. "Right now, it's time for us to return to our post. One thing the judge doesn't like is people being late in returning."

_Later:_

The rest of the day droned on with more expert testimony before the judge ended the day at four thirty. Exodus, not used to wearing dresses very often, was eager to get home and get out of her clothes and scrub off her makeup before changing into shorts and a T-shirt.

She had accepted the offer of dinner with Shelly, Brian and Lori first before being dropped off, grateful that at least the first day was finally over. Word had it that there would be more expert people in the morning, but other witnesses should be testifying that afternoon before Brian would present his own case. All Exodus knew she couldn't wait for this ordeal to be over and behind her–however it would turn out.

But she had faith in her attorney. Somehow, for the first time in weeks, she was feeling optimistic. Brian would bring out the truth one way or another.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_The following morning:_

Exodus dressed conservatively in a skirt and white blouse, slipping into a pair of flats before meeting up with Brian at the courthouse not long before the second day of the trial was scheduled to get underway.

Once again, there were a few expert witnesses, but they hadn't taken up most of the morning like the others had the day before. Brian really had no questions for any of them, and they were dismissed once Helen had been through.

His mood had lifted a little when Paul took the stand, testifying about Mickey's autopsy and the fatal wound. The jury would hear about wound angles, tool marks on bullets, entrance and exit wounds. Exodus went a little pale as the photos were shown, but managed to keep calm.

"Doctor," Brian asked when it was his turn, "the second shot was the fatal one, correct?"

"It was," Paul replied firmly.

"You described the angle of that entrance wound and the exit wound. Is there any way possible that a woman of five feet, three inches could have fired a shot that travel that path at the level of that location?"

"Not unless they grew a few inches in several minutes or shot the victim while he was down," Paul said.

"And was there any evidence that the victim was down when that shot was fired?"

"Absolutely not. Had that been the case, there would not have been blood and bits of tissue found where it was. Both would have been at a closer location, not to mention it would have been a contact wound. As you can see from this last photo, it was not."

"Thank you, Doctor. No further questions."

Paul gave a slight smile, stepping down to leave the courtroom once he'd been excused. For him, it had been one of many trials.

Exodus had been in shock when Mickey's sister had been next to testify; she wasn't even sure the last time she'd seen Amy until today, and slipped a note to Brian informing him as to such as the woman testified to Helen and the jury concerning the relationship of her late brother and Exodus.

_Exodus a protagonist? _Brian thought skeptically.

That was certainly news to him, taking into consideration the reports Shelly had done that had drawn his client as a low-key, quiet young woman.

Brian took it and ran once it was his turn to cross examine.

"Miss Kleto, how often did you see Michael?" he asked right off.

"As often as I could."

"Would you say about every day?"

"No, not that often."

"Once a week?"

"No…."

"Perhaps every month? When was the last time you _had _seen your brother?"

"Sometime in early March, I think."

"_Three months ago?" _Brian's voice raised a little. "You saw Michael three months ago, and probably not very often before that, yet you appear to know the behavior and character of my client, saying she is a 'protagonist' that angered him deliberately? Is it not true that he had anger issues to begin with, madam?"

"Well…."

"Objection," Helen interrupted.

"Sustained," the judge replied. "Proceed."

"Miss Kleto, is it not a fact that your brother was ordered into anger management classes the last time he had been to court?"

"Yes."

"And at any time, do you recall when Miss Pirro was ordered into anger management or anything similar?"

"No, not really."

"So, who was the actual protagonist here, madam?"

"Counselor!" the judge barked.

"Withdrawn," Brian said. "Nothing further."

A few more witnesses for the State had been called before Helen wrapped up her case. Brian would be calling his first witness after the lunch break.

"We're halfway through," he reassured Exodus.

"How are things looking for us?" she asked.

"I'd like to think very well, but once again, it's up to the jury to decide once this is all over."

_That afternoon:_

"I call Rachel Clark," Brian said determinedly.

Exodus perked up from the defense table. _Who? _she thought.

It hadn't taken her long to find out; as Brian questioned the woman, Exodus discovered that Rachel had been one of Mickey's old girlfriends, and she too had been a punching bag before getting brave enough to finally leave once and for all one day while Mickey had been out on one of his binges.

Rachel had been in hiding right up until she'd gotten word of his death. Now with that, she could finally live again without looking over her shoulder.

"Miss Clark, have you ever reported any of this alleged abuse to the police?" Helen asked when it was her turn.

"We didn't even have a phone," Rachel said. "Mickey held me captive most of the time. How could I get help?"

"But you got out when 'he was on a binge'. Did you seek medical treatment for any injuries?"

"They really didn't require any. I was bruised a good deal of the time."

"So you claim the victim abused you for well over three years, held you captive, yet there are no records?"

"He threatened to kill me if I said anything to anyone. I was in hiding for a long time until I got word he was dead."

"Miss Clark, you were addicted to drugs at some point, were you not?"

"Objection!" Brian yelled, refusing to have this woman treated in such a fashion. "Relevance?"

"Overruled," the judge replied. "Proceed."

_God damn it! _Brian thought. He was furious, but kept his feelings hidden.

"I was," Rachel said. "Mickey introduced me to Oxycontin."

"And you have a record for stealing that drug, correct?"

"Yes. But I've been off of it since being away from him. I'm totally clean from any drugs now and haven't been in any more trouble."

_Thank God, _Brian thought, giving a small sigh. Hopefully his next witness would have a better outcome. They would be the last one before closing statements.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_The last day:_

Exodus already knew that Mel would be testifying for the defense; even though Mel hadn't told her directly (they hadn't spoken since Exodus' arrest on Brian's advice), she knew Mel had been interviewed by both Brian and Shelly while they had been working on Exodus' case.

And now here Melanie Turner was on the stand, recounting the times she had made the effort to get her friend away from Mickey, how many times she'd seen bruises on Exodus, how many times they'd gone to the ER together, Mel taking her to a shelter.

"Miss Turner," Brian asked, "at any time, did Exodus express a desire to hurt Michael Kleto?"

"Oh my gosh. No." Mel gasped.

"Has she ever hurt him physically?"

"She may have slapped him a couple of times to my knowledge, but it was self-defense."

"But never injured him?"

"Anyone who had seen the size of Mickey would know there would have been two chances of that–slim and none," Mel replied firmly.

"Miss Turner, could you recall once again for the court what injuries you noticed on my client the times when you accompanied her to the hospital?"

"Of course. There was some bruises around her neck a few times when Mickey choked Exodus, one time, her collarbone was broken, she still has problems with her back once in awhile from when Mickey slammed her against a wall, she's had a broken wrist. That's a few I can immediately remember."

"I have no further questions," Brian said.

To his amazement, Helen had passed on cross examing Mel; apparently it was clear to her now that Exodus' past of being a victim of domestic violence _were_ real.

Brian had called two ER staff members that had treated Exodus for the injuries Mel had indicated earlier. Both had consulted their notes, explaining in detail both Exodus' diagnoses as well as her demeanor.

They had also noted Mel's worried, concern manner and how she had asked them about how they could help her friend "before Exodus ended up getting herself killed."

"Exodus never mentioned to you at any time about 'doing away' with her partner?" Brian asked.

"No. She was interested on leaving him, but not indicating doing anything physically to him. She was actually quite frightened about the _prospect_ of leaving, even though it was clear she wanted to go."

"She feared for her life?"

"Yes. That would be the best way to describe it."

"Nothing further, Your Honor."

Helen had done a brief cross on both staff members, who had remained firm in their testimonies. But Brian had one more ace up his sleeve he was sure that would seal his case, especially after a note Shelly had handed him during Helen's cross of the ER nurse.

"Your Honor," he finally said, "I would like to recall Amy Kleto to the stand as a hostile witness."


	10. Chapter 10 CONCLUSION

**Chapter 10 - CONCLUSION**

"Miss Kleto, do you have any idea why you have been recalled for additional testimony?" Brian asked right off without wasting any time.

"You briefed me earlier, yes."

"Besides you and your brother, there is another sibling, correct?"

"Yes. Another sister, Morgan."

"And has Morgan been in contact with your brother prior to his death?"

"As little as possible. They didn't get along at all."

"As a matter of fact, Michael abused your sister, didn't he? Injured her on several occassions like he had his other past girlfriends and Exodus?"

Amy nodded. "Yes."

"Has he ever struck you?"

"Yes, but not as often as Morgan."

"Miss Kleto, how tall is your sister?"

"Five nine."

"And her shoe size?"

"A nine the last time I remember."

"And Morgan owns a hunting license, does she not?"

"She did last season, yes."

"During the times she and Michael _did _get along, they went hunting together, correct?"

"Yes, that's right."

"And the last time they had gone hunting, somehow Morgan had gotten hold of his house key and had a copy made?"

"I'm not sure about that."

Brian produced a receipt from a key shop. "She did, Miss Kleto. Your sister Morgan used that exact duplicate key to enter Michael's home, hide in a room where she wouldn't be seen only a few days after he'd had an argument with her over a loan, because she was clearly tired of being abused one time too many. She took your brother's rifle out of the closet with the intent of shooting him. What she didn't count on was my client being there and using the pistol to get him first. But see, Exodus had bad aim and her wound would have bothered him for awhile, but not killed him. However, when he did go for her again, that's when your sister grabbed the opportunity to fire the fatal shot. Exodus didn't plan to kill your brother, Miss Kleto, but your sister _did. _Correct?"

"I guess so….." Amy went pale.

"And you knew nothing about this?"

"Not until the night before. Morgan said she was going to 'take care of things' but I didn't think it would go this far."

"Nevertheless, you failed to mention that information the first time around." Brian shook his head. "Nothing further."

_The following morning:_

As most expected, Exodus had been acquitted of the murder charge in Mickey's death, but no one expected her to be cleared on the assualt charge as well. Thanks to both forensic evidence and Paul's testimony, it had been clear to the jurors that had decided her fate that the shot Exodus had done was clearly in self-defense to save her own life.

"I think I've decided what I want to do with my life," she said a few days later.

"What is that?" Mel asked, clearly interested.

"Not only what I'd gone through with Mickey for so long, but also the whole court trial thing. I was thinking I'd like to work in domestic violence awareness."

"Well what do you know?" Mel smiled. "I happened to have been talking to your attorney's secretary yesterday and they're looking for a victims' advocate for his office. Why not call him?"

"Oh, I really couldn't do that. I mean, he represented me at my trial–"

"Exxie, you're not a client anymore. You're cleared of all charges and can go on with your life. There will be no conflict of interest attached. You need a job. It's time to take that chance."

"Do you really think I can do this?"

"No," Mel said. "I _know_ you can."

Exodus smiled and pulled out her cell phone. Mel was right; it was time to go forward. At least now Exodus could do it without looking over her shoulder. It was good to finally be free in more ways than one.


End file.
